The present invention relates to a protective hood for a firefighter, and more particularly, to a pocket for containing a required clothing label attached to such a hood so that the label is prevented from contacting and causing discomfort to the wearer.
In order to protect the sensitive head, face and neck areas which are not protected by the protective coat, helmet or facepiece, firefighters wear hoods which are shaped to cover the head, neck and shoulder regions and include a front opening for exposure of the wearer's face. Such hoods serve to eliminate the possibility of a gap in the protection around the neck, cheek and ears, between the helmet, face mask and coat collar of the firefighters. Such hoods are constructed of fire retardant, thermal barrier material, such as a knit aramid material (e.g., NOMEX, a trademark of E.I. Dupont de Nemours & Co., Inc.) to protect a firefighter against burns in the regions covered by the hood. Typically, such firefighter hoods are made of two layers of knitted fabric material.
Current regulations require that all firefighter apparel include garment labels permanently and conspicuously attached to the inside of the garment, which set forth the fabric composition of the associated garment, cleaning instructions, and the like. Applicable regulations also require that such labels be made of a fire resistant material, such as aramid fiber. A problem with such labels is that they present a source of irritation to the wearer, should the labels contact the skin of the wearer. In addition, perspiration and the movement of the firefighter's head provides constant abrasion on the label. The abrasion and perspiration cause the label to become illegible and eventually wear away. This is important, as some states require the label to be legible for the hood to stay in service.
Accordingly, there is a need for means for effectively providing a flame and heat resistant label which is attached to a firefighter hood, is readily available for reading, and yet is located at a position away from the wearer and away from possible flame damage. Further, there is a need for a "housing" for a flame and heat resistant label for a firefighter hood so that the label does not contact the skin of the firefighter, and to extend the service life of the hood by extending the integrity of the label.